Collapsible drainage bottle

ABSTRACT

A bedside drainage bottle so constructed that the upper half, including an inlet connection, can be telescoped or collapsed into the lower half to constitute a tray in which tubing or other articles may be placed or stored, the upper half rising readily to expanded position to accommodate liquid drained into the bottle. An air vent may be provided in the top and a closable outlet may be provided in the bottom.

United States Patent [1113 5033 [72] Inventors PeterJ.Albizati [56]References Cited Myersvillfl UNITED STATES PATENTS Samson AsinWestfield' Alfred B. Beers 2.950.029 8 1960 W t d .1 150 5 X NewProvidence; Thomas A. Child. Basking ms ea 3,312,221 4/1967 Overment128/275 5'15: Madmm 3,319,684 5/1967 Calhoun 128/272 X [21] Appl No.833,927 FOREIGN PATIENTS [22] Filed June 17, 1969 1,504,736 /1967 Francei. ISO/0.5 Pa d S t, 7 1971 599,766 3/1948 Great Britain 220/drans 1Assign Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance Murray Attorney-W. SaxtonSeward [54] COLLAPSIBLE DRAINAGE BOTTLE ABSTRACT: A bedside drainagebottle so constructed that 4 CIaImSG Drawmg Figs the upper half,including an inlet connection, can be [52] US. Cl .1 ISO/0.5, telescopedor collapsed into the lower half to constitute a tray 128/275, 215/1 Cin which tubing or other articles may be placed or stored. the

[51] Int. Cl 865d l/02, upper half rising readily to expanded positionto accom- A6lj 1/00 modate liquid drained into the bottle. An air ventmay be pro- Field of Search /.5; vided in the top and a closable outletmay be provided in the 215/1 C; 128/272, 275 bottom.

PATENTED SEP 7 ISYI FIG.3

FIG.6

COLLAPSIBLE DRAINAGE BOTTLE Drainage bottles made of flexible plasticmaterials are frequently used in hospitals to collect drainage fluidsfrom body cavities as in the case of urinary drainage. Such bottles mayrest on the floor or be suspended from a side rail of a bed. It isdesirable to have a collapsible container, for economy of space instorage or shipment while having adequate capacity, in use, so thatfrequent emptying or replacement is not needed.

The present invention relates to a plastic bottle in which the bottomhalf is square with vertical sidewalls, and the top half is slightlypyramidal with its base connected to the bottom half by a narrowhorizontal shelf, the bottom half being somewhat stiffer than the upperportions and the relative sizes being such that the walls of the tophalf can be turned inside out as it collapses into the bottom half.

A practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

FIG. I represents a side elevation of the bottle in expanded position,parts being cut away and in section;

FIG. 2 represents a top plan view of the bottle, expanded as in FIG. 1:

FIG. 3 represents a side elevation of the bottle in collapsed position;

FIG. 4 represents a top plan view of the bottle, collapsed as in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 represents a vertical section on the line V--V of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 represents a detail side elevation of the bottom portion of thebottle, viewed from the opposite side as compared to FIGS. l and 3.

Referring to the drawing, the bottle is shown as having a lower portion1 of approximately square shape in plan view with flat verticalsidewalls 2 and a stepped bottom, about twothirds of which (3) lies at alower level and one-third (4) at a higher level, the said levels beingconnected by the vertical wall 5. To facilitate drainage through theoutlet spout 6, extending horizontally from the wall 5 in a middlevertical plane of the bottle, the bottom steps slant slightly downwardtoward the region of the wall 5. As shown in FIGS. I and 5, the materialin the lower portion 1 is thick enough to give this portion somedimensional stability; the sidewalls 2 and bottom 3, 4, 5 are somewhatflexible but not readily bent.

The upper portion 7 is of pyramidal form, its bottom edge 8 lying withinthe upper edge 9 of the portion 1 and being connected thereto by a thinweb 10. The sides 11 of the upper portion are also thin and easily bent,while the top wall 12 is stiffer. An inlet connection nipple 13 ismolded integrally with the top wall and an air vent 14 (adapted toreceive filtering material) is provided adjacent the nipple I3. Sincedrainage bottles of this type may be suspended from a bed rail orcarried by ambulatory patients, a pair of handles I5 may conveniently bemolded in the upper wall each side of the air vent and inlet nipple.

It is not economically practical to store and ship drainage bottles inthe expanded position shown in FIG. I and the present bottle isaccordingly designed to be collapsed (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) to about halfits expanded size by pushing the top wall down into the bottom portion,the sides 11 thus being turned inside out as they fold downward alongthe line of the web 10. This operation has the added advantage offorming a tray, in the space 16, within which a drainage tube may becoiled or other accessories placed.

The outlet spout 6 is normally provided with an outlet tube, closed by aclamp, and one end of the bottom step is shown (FIG. 6) recessed at 17with a tube storage cap 18 molded into the side of the recess to receivethe free end of the outlet tube when it is not being used to empty thebottle.

In use the bottle may be suspended by the handles 15 or placed on asupporting surface (e.g., floor), a drainage tube from the patient isconnected to the inlet nipple I3 and liquid is permitted to drain intothe bottle. If the bottle is collapsed, the rising level of liquid willfloat the collapsed portion up to its expanded position; if the bottlehas been pulled out to expanded position the liquid merely enters andcollects in the usual manner. In either event air from within the bottleis vented as required through the filter air vent I4. Whenever necessarythe contents of the bottle can be removed through the outlet spout 6.

The bottle described above may conveniently be made by blow molding of athermoplastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride or polyurethane.

What We claim is:

l. A collapsible container for liquids comprising a lower portion havinga bottom and upstanding sidewalls, an upper portion having a top anddownwardly extending sidewalls and being provided with a drainage inlet,the respective upstanding and downwardly extending sidewalls beingjoined along a line intermediate the bottom and the top, a narrowsubstantially horizontal web forming the connection between therespective sidewalls, and the downwardly extending walls being foldableapproximately around said line to lie inside the upstanding walls withthe top adjacent the bottom, the bottom being stepped to lie in twoplanes and being provided with a drainage spout disposed above one ofsaid planes and below the other plane.

2. A collapsible container according to claim I in which the height ofthe downwardly extending sidewalls is less than the height of theupstanding sidewalls.

3. A collapsible container according to claim I in which the containeris formed of a thermoplastic material the thickness of the material inthe lower portion being greater than the thickness of the downwardlyextending walls.

4. A collapsible container according to claim I wherein the top and thedownwardly extending walls are adapted, when the container is collapsedwith the top adjacent the bottom, to be returned automatically to theextended position as liquid accumulates in the container.

1. A collapsible container for liquids comprising a lower portion havinga bottom and upstanding sidewalls, an upper portion having a top anddownwardly extending sidewalls and being provided with a drainage inlet,the respective upstanding and downwardly extending sidewalls beingjoined along a line intermediate the bottom and the top, a narrowsubstantially horizontal web forming the connection between therespective sidewalls, and the downwardly extending walls being foldableapproximately around said line to lie inside the upstanding walls withthe top adjacent the bottom, the bottom being stepped to lie in twoplanes and being provided with a drainage spout disposed above one ofsaid planes and below the other plane.
 2. A collapsible containeraccording to claim 1 in which the height of the downwardly extendingsidewalls is less than the height of the upstanding sidewalls.
 3. Acollapsible container according to claim 1 in which the container isformed of a thermoplastic material the thickness of the material in thelower portion being greater than the thickness of the downwardlyextending walls.
 4. A collapsible container according to claim 1 whereinthe top and the downwardly extending walls are adapted, when thecontainer is collapsed with the top adjacent the bottom, to be returnedautomatically to the extended position as liquid accumulates in thecontainer.